I’m thinking about adding a planer to my shop and am on a limited budget after just having my first child. Now my local HD sells the Ridgid R4330 and the DeWalt DW734 both for around $400. I was wondering what people had to say about these two planers and and which would be the better choice, or if maybe there is a better choice out there for around this same price range or less. And I’m not sure why my HD sells the DW734 instead of the DW735, but I have heard a lot of praise on the DW735. Is the DW734 pretty close to the same thing. And the Ridgid is a little cheaper and comes with the Ridgid Lifetime Warranty, but will it perform just as good as the DeWalt? Any and all opinions and answers are appreciated. Thanks!

19 replies so far

I’ve thought about those two planers as well and I’ve been leaning towards the 734 because it has the cutterhead lock and the Ridgid doesn’t. I’ve read some reviews that the Ridgid has more snipe than the 734 (but only by .001-.002 inches)

I too have the DW734 and have had no issues yet. I compared it to the Ridgid model as well, but jumped on a sale that Lowes was having on the 734. I do like the cutterhead lock. This unit came out of the box with very little snipe. I noticed that the extensions were higher than parallel, which kind of looked funny, but from what I read that is the first recommendation folks have with reducing snipe. I do a fair amount of end-grain planing, and even on a 12”x18” cutting board, it has enough power to hog through the job. As a rule of thumb I take extremely light passes anyways. With any planer, as easy way to eliminate snipe is to lightly raise the front section of you board during the last few inches of the cut. Practice on some scrap wood and you’ll get the feel for it.

Good luck. I hope you are happy with whichever model you choose. I found myself feeding random boards through it the first day, because it was so awesome to see a beautiful piece of wood spit out the other end.

I have the Rigid and it’s okay. I am just learning how to use it and fine tune it. I am still getting a lot of snipe. Could be me, could be the machine?? I have a much more experienced buddy that had it and then sold it because he could never get it tuned the way he wanted it. Not a solid “non” recommendation, but it’s all I got!

Yeah, I’ve read about some snipe issues with the Ridgid but most people saw it can be fixed by slightly raising the end of the outfeed table to compensate for the weight of the wood. I hear this can be true with any planer. But yet I still have heard basically nothing but praise from DeWalt owners. I do however like the Ridgid warranty, but if the DeWalt is built to last, does the warranty really matter? And as I have yet to own a planer, what is the “cutterhead lock” feature, and what does it do? Is is just to lock the cutterhead from spinning while working on or adjusting it? Thanks again for all the input everyone. This website probably is the best tool I have in woodworking.

The Ridgid uses a 4-post thread design which supposedly eliminates the need for a cutterhead lock. It’s the same system that the DW735 uses. Snipe on these machines is largely a function of setup and technique. Planers with no cutterhead lock system at all, like the Ryobi and Delta/PC TP305, are the ones that will be more prone to snipe and are harder to control.

I have the R4330 and like it, but I’ve never used a DW734 so I really can’t compare. The R4330 replaced my Delta 22-580, which replaced a Delta 22-560. All have been good planers. I wish I could say that the R4330 is clearly a better planer than the 22-580, but it’s not…there are pros and cons to each. I found that the rollers on the 22-580 needed to be cleaned off frequently to prevent slipping…more so than the 22-560 and R4330 rollers. I was also tired of the DC chute on the 22-580…it’s a very narrow opening which inhibits DC a bit, plus the chute tends to drag on the workpiece as it exits…combine that dragging with rollers slipping, and I just got tired of pulling the wood through the machine manually. The 22-580 was heavier (more stable), and seemed to have more oomph even though both are rated at 15 amps.

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I had the slightly older version of the DW for about 10 years. Snipe could be an issue. Overall I loved it but recently sold it on CL for $250 with dust hood and extra set of new blades because I upgraded to a PM 15”. I recommend taking a look at what’s available on the used market before you make your final decision.

I had the ridgid for 3 years but now experience with the delta 734, my buddy has the 735. Personally I think the ridgid is equal to the 735. I had snip with mine at 1st but once I got the tables set up nicely the snip was gone. The blades last long and dust collection is ok. The dust collection on the 735 is better. Home depot web site sells the ridgid 4330 for $370 and you can use a lowes coupon to get another 10% off. That is a heck of a planer for the money, I dont thing you can go wrong with that machine even at $400. I paid $400 when I bought mine.

If you have a Lowes around, check their price on the 734. They are in clearance and the price has dropped. HD just had a big sale on all their 735 DeWalts (some went for less than $300), so you may find one on Craigslist for sale cheap. The 735 has an on-board chip blower which means you don’t have to hook up a shop vac, or blow the chips all over the shop. just direct them into a garbage can.

I have the 734 and am happy with it ( paid less than $350 new a year ago). However, if I could get the 735 for $300, I would jump on it. Delta is also coming out with a 3 blade version of the 22-580 in the $400 price range, you it may be worth waiting for. A lot of people swore by that model.

Check with HD customer service (their phone # is on the website) and see if they can locate a 735 for you. I’ve been told that they will locate any that are available in your area and even go so far as to have one transferred to a store near you. I do NOT know this first-hand, but the phone call is free. Some of the stores still have them and I’ve heard of prices at HD as low as $130. One of the stores near me still has one and its at $279. If I didn’t already have a Ridgid, I’d be all over it.

I’ve had the DW734 for about 1 1/2 years now with no problems. Very little snipe and can be eliminated by feeding properly. Got it for $300 from Lowes during clearance price. Comes with dust collection hood, standard.

I own the Ridgid and love it. Without a cutterhead lock there is no problem, it works very well as designed. Dust collection is fantastic. Snipe? If adjustments are correct, and you don’t try to take the max cut every pass, there is none on my machine. I disagree that snipe comes from cutterhead movement, I think it comes from wood movement. Therefore it can be controlled and eliminated. By reading the posts on snipe on other forums, everyone has some snipe, even with the head locks, so it’s apparently universal.I would not hesitate to buy the Ridgid again.

Been using the Dewalt for a year now. Lots of rough red oak put through it. It’s done a good job and leaves no snipe. I can’t speak for the Rigid. But…. If I didn’t put the lock on after adjusting the Delta I would get snipe. The lock eliminates it. I can’t imagine a planer without head lock.

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I too found the 734 at Lowes on sale for $300 and have been in love with it ever since. Snipe is minimal and easily removed with light sanding once the included tables are adjusted (tables are extra on the 735). Dust collection with the included hood is also good. Blade changes are easy (though they last quite a while) and replacement blades are readily available from lots of suppliers.